Don’t Let Trades Drive the Schedule
A question came in recently about how to handle trades who want to batch large areas on a project and, essentially, drive the schedule. This is an issue I’ve seen many times, and it’s worth addressing head-on.
Trade partners will often say: “Clear out a big space and let us go full speed. We’ll knock it out.” On the surface, it sounds efficient but in reality, it slows down the entire project.
Here’s why:
- Large batch areas extend timelines. For example, one trade might take 10 days in a massive zone. If the work is split into two smaller zones, each taking 5 days, the overall phase shortens dramatically. Smaller zones mean faster project throughput.
- Mismatched pacing disrupts flow. If most trades are running on a 5-day takt time, but one insists on a 10-day pace, the whole system suffers. Weeks and sometimes months are lost.
- The orchestra analogy matters. Just like an orchestra needs a conductor, a project needs superintendents to set the rhythm. Every trade must move together, at the same pace, in balanced zones. If one trade tries to play solo at their own speed, the whole performance falls apart.
This is where the balance between flow efficiency and resource efficiency comes in. Lean thinking often emphasizes flow, but ignoring resources leads to burnout and chaos. On the other hand, focusing only on resource efficiency sub-optimizes the project. The key is combining both: pacing supply and demand so the entire system is optimized, not just one trade.
When a trade partner insists on doing whatever they want, it’s like a human body where only the lungs are healthy while the heart and liver are failing. The system dies, and the “winning” trade loses with it.
A superintendent’s job is to protect the whole ensuring every trade works together in sync. That’s the only way to deliver a profitable, healthy, optimized project.
Key Takeaway
Never let one trade dictate the schedule. Break work into smaller zones, pace all trades together, and balance flow with resource efficiency. The project only succeeds when the entire system is optimized.
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